Heathrow Airport Climate Change Protests Begin

August 13, 2007 · Filed Under News 

Heathrow Airport is the latest target for climate change protest as a camp has been established close to the perimeter of the airport (The BBC). The camp has been established just a week after BAA had managed to obtain a high court injunction banning a group called Plane Stupid, and some members from other groups, from protesting. However, BAA failed to get injunctions on other groups and the Camp for Climate Change is now underway.

The camp and those banned from the camp have already been attracting media interest. Plane Stupid took their demonstration to North Wales and the Airbus Superjumbo factory, whilst Sky News report an uneasy stand off developing between the police and protestors.

The aim of the camp is to highlight climate change issues, protest about expansions to Heathrow Airport and air travel’s influence on world CO2 output. The official site gives plenty of information about the camp, it’s aims, press links and how you can get involved. The camp is planning 24 Hours of Mass Action which “will cost the aviation industry dearly” and “be civil disobedience”. This runs from midday 19th August to midday 20th August.

The protest isn’t good news for the government, especially as this week The Guardian reported that The UK is some way off it’s targets for increasing the UK’s use of wind, solar and hydroelectric sources of power. Naturally Downing Street has countered the report saying that policies are on course (The BBC) but if public protests about climate change start to attract mass media coverage (perhaps more so than any concert) on a regular basis then evidence of these policies in action will be required sooner rather than later.

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